Spring roller-type exerciser



R. J. M. BARBEAU SPRING. RoLLER-TYPE EXERCISER Jan. 2s, 1958 Filed Dec. 24, 1954 SPRING ROLLER-TYPE EXERCISER Raymond J. M. Barbeau, Outremont, Quebec, Canada Application December 24, 1954, Serial No. 477,479

7 Claims. (Cl. 272-83) The present invention relates to exercising devices and more particularly to exercising devices wherein the body weight of the user is utilized in the development and exercise of the muscular system.

At the present time, many types of exercising and muscle building equipment are available for use in the gymnasium and/ or the home. Much of this equipment requires the use of springs or levers to provide the required resistance to the movement of the muscles of the body. Weights are also common in the form of dumb-bells, bar-bells, or wall weights, either with fixed or adjustable weights.

Most of this exercising equipment has certain disadvantages from the point of view of the potential user. For example, when systems of springs or levers are utilized there is always the danger of failure which is apt to cause injury to the user and secondly, due to their structure the cost of such equipment is usually fairly high. In the case of weights, these are naturally cumbersome and for their proper use require considerable space, for example, a gymnasium or the equivalent.

With this in mind, prior art attempts have been made to provide some simple relatively inexpensive means of utilizing the body weight as the resistance for the purpose of body-building.

The present invention aims to provide an exercising device of this general type which presents distinct advantages over the prior art arrangements. This is accomplished by providing a combined hand grip and body support of dumb-bell like shape which is particularly suited for performing body building exercises in which the body is disposed in a substantially horizontal position. More specifically, in accordance with the invention, the device includes a central handle or hand grip portion and Wheel-like end portions of greater diameter, which are mounted on the hand grip portion for controlled rotation. Means are provided between the hand grip and end portions, preferably in the form of springs, whereby a contrasting resistance is provided to the body weight, making it possible for the user to raise his weight from certain exercising positions.

This device is used in pairs, one in each hand, and by following a prescribed series of exercises, all the muscles in the upper portion of the body can be exercised and developed without undue strain or danger to the user.

Having thus generally described the nature of the invention, particular reference will be made to the accompanying drawing showing a preferred embodiment thereof, and in which:

Figure 1 is a view in plan of an exercising device constructed in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional view of the construction shown in Figure 1 along the line ..-2.

Figure 3 is a diametrical cross section of one end of the construction of Figure 1 to show the internal arrangement of the weight resistant spring.

Figure 4 is a diagrammatic view showing by way of United States PatentO 2,821,394 Patented Jan. 28, 1958 2 an example one exercise which can be performed with the exerciser of the invention.

With particular reference to Figures 1, 2, and 3 showing a preferred embodiment, the exercising device of the invention comprises a central hand grip portion 10 and wheel-like end portions 12, 14, which are mounted for rotation at each end of the portion 10.

Preferably, the portions 12, 14 are mounted for rotation, as shown, on each end of a shaft 16 which extends through the center of the handle portion 10. Suitable retaining nuts 18, are utilized to hold the wheel portions 12-14 in position.

As shown in detail in Figures 2 and 3, the outer ends 11, 13 of the handle portion 10 are enlarged and include internal cavities 20 which accommodate spiral springs 22. The terminal ends of each of the springs 20 are connected to and retained by first pins 24 which extend from the inner faces of the cavities 20 of the grip end portions and second pins 26 which extend from the inner faces of the wheel portions 12, 14.

With this arangement in use, rotation of the wheel portions 12, 14, in one direction, when the handle portion is grasped finnly by the user and the arms are extended, winds up or tensions the coil springs 22. This tension is utilized to help the user lift his body weight when he is in a position where his arms are extended, see for example, the lower position shown in Figure 4. In order to prevent the wheel portions 12, 14 from skidding when subjected to this internal rotational tension, tires or bands 30 of suitable material, for example, rubber or the like, are mounted in grooves 32 of each of the wheels 12, 14. Further, an indicating marker or signal, for example an arrow, as indicated at B is provided on one or both of the grip portion ends to show which way the device should be grasped to achieve the winding up action of the springs 20.

The use of the springs 20 may be dispensed with, if desired, once the user has developed sufliicient strength to overcome his body weight without the necessity of any counteracting resistance. This can be easily accomplished by removing the retaining nuts 18 and the wheel portions 12, 14 so as to disengage the pins 26 from the ends of the springs 20. Then the other ends of the springs can be disengaged from the first pins 24 and the springs removed. The wheel portions 12, 14 can then be replaced and are free for rotational movement in either direction.

In this respect it will be appreciated that resilient means other than a coil spring might be utilized for example, a resilientfiexible cord could be partially wound about the ends of the shaft 16 with the free ends connected to the pins 26 of the wheel portions. Also, in the free condition, friction braking means might be employed in the form of Washers or discs interposed between the ends of the hand grip portion and the wheels.

Preferably, the grip portion 10 and wheel portions 12, 14 are made as castings from metal having sufficient weight whereby the devices can also be used as regular dumb-bells, for example, they can be of cast iron or similar materials.

I claim:

1. An exercising device comprising, a hand grip having a center portion of cylindrical formation and enlarged end portions of greater diameter than said centre portion, each of said end portions including a concentric internal recess, a pair of circular supporting members of greater diameter than said hand grip end portions mounted for rotation on and in axial alignment with said hand grip one on each end, and a resilient resistance member mounted within each of said hand grip end recesses having one end connected to said hand grip end with the other end connected to the adjacent circular support ing member whereby rotation of each of said supporting membersrelative to said hand grip in one direction is resisted in gradually increasing degrees and rotation of said members injhe opposite direction relieves said re sistance accordingly. i

2. An exercising device as claimed in claim 1, including annular bands offresilient material'surronnding the outer periphery of each of said supporting members.

3. An exercising device'as claimedin claim 1, wherein said resilient resistance members comprise coil springs.

4 An exercising device comprising, a hand'grip'having a cylindrical centreportion and cylindrical end portions of greater diameter than said centre portion, each'of said hand grip end portions including a concentric internal reces sfa pair of circular supporting members of j greater diameter than saidhandgrip end portions mounted for f'thtisn Jon and in axial alignment with said hand grip, 65 at each end a pair of spiral springs disposed one within each of said hand grip end recesses between said h'andgri'p ends and said circular supporting members with th e inner te rminal ends of said springs connected to the frespective endsof said hand grip and the outer "terminal ends connected to the respective circular members, whereby rotation ofsaid circular supporting members inone direc tion'relativeto said handgrip winds up said springs and rotation of said circular members in tli'eopposi'te direction'release's the wound up tension of said springs. I

'5. An'iercising devicea's claimed in claim 4, wherein an elongated shaft extends axially through said hand 4 grip with the outer ends extending beyond said hand grip at either end having a terminal threaded portion and said circular supporting rriembers are mounted on said shaft ends and retained thereon by retaining nuts engaged with said threaded shaft ends.

6. An exercising device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the inner terminal ends of said spiral springs are connected to said hand grip endsby engagement with outwardly extending pins'disposed adjacent the axes of said hand grip and said outer terminal ends of said springs are connected to said circular'supporting "members 'by engagement withoutwardlyxtendingpins disposed adjacent the outer peripheries of said circular members.

7. An exercisi'ng'd'evice as'claimedin' claim 4, wherein each of said circular supporting members is provided with an annular band of resilient material surrounding the outer periphery.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 808,706 Villedrouin Jan. 2, 1906 824,920 Nova'k Sept. 29, 1931 2,447,218 Trz'esniewski Aug. 17, 1948 2642,286 Leroy June 16, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 634,093 Germany 1937 663,233 Germany 1938 

